KENTUCKY (12/4/13) - We typically eat off of a paper plate, but have you ever considered using your paper plate for a science experiment?

INGREDIENTS• Paper Plate• Scissors• Black Marker

INSTRUCTIONSSTEP 1: Using the black marker, draw the following illustration on the paper plate.STEP 2: Using the scissors, cut along the black lines.STEP 3: Hold one of the pieces above the other, lining up the two left edges, and observe.STEP 4: Switch the pieces and observe.

EXPLANATIONThe bottom piece looks longer when compared to the top piece. Although each piece is exactly the same size, your eyes compare the bottom arch of the top piece, which is shorter, to the top arch of the bottom piece, which is longer. This tricks your brain into believing the bottom piece is longer. The optic nerve sends signals from the eye to the brain, which then interprets what we see.